


Jacinter Ship Week

by PrincessSelene04



Series: Lunar Chronicles Ship Weeks 2020 [1]
Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cancer, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Marriage Proposal, Nightmares, The Lunar Chronicles Ship Weeks, only in one part though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessSelene04/pseuds/PrincessSelene04
Summary: 1) Hug Me2) Smile3) But Fate's a Cruel Mistress, Girl, the Prettiest in the World (song lyric day)4) Honey (soulmate AU)5) Volunteer (Hunger Games Universe)6) Ryu7) Silver
Relationships: Jacin Clay/Winter Hayle-Blackburn
Series: Lunar Chronicles Ship Weeks 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864054
Comments: 16
Kudos: 20





	1. Hug Me

Since the revolution ended a few months ago and Sele–Cinder–had rightfully taken her place as queen, almost everything had gone as perfectly as it could. Plans were being drawn up for bioelectricity block factories, the outer sectors of Luna were steadily rising out of poverty, and peace between Earth and Luna had once again been restored.

But there was one thing that refused to get better–if anything it was getting worse. 

That thing happened to be Winter’s nightmares.

At least twice every night she would wake up screaming. Her mind dreaming up Aimery’s body bleeding out at her feet. For as triumphant of a moment as that had been, it also seemed to be Winter’s undoing. 

Winter bolted upright in bed. She didn’t know what time it was, but she knew it was late. Her breathing was heavy and her cheeks wet with tears. She looked around the room, expecting to see the bedroom she was used to, that she’d grown up in, and instead she found something completely different.

The walls were a deep red color, with gold accents everywhere. It was a familiar place, but not overly so. 

Earth. 

She was on Earth, the Eastern Commonwealth in New Beijing Palace, to be exact.

Winter sniffled and wiped at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. She wished the nightmares would be something different for once. She wished her mind would mix it up a little bit instead of showing her the same thing over and over and over again. But that seemed like too much to hope for.

She took a breath to steady herself then climbed out of bed. Wrapping her arms around herself, Winter left her bedroom. She wandered down the hallway and knocked on one of the doors.

It took a few seconds, but then she heard footsteps and a few more seconds after that the door slid open to reveal Jacin. He looked tired with his bright hair falling down onto his face and the sleepiness in his eyes. 

“Nightmare again?” He asked, voice low and gentle.

She nodded, fresh tears pooling in her eyes.

“What can I do to help?”

“Hug me?” Winter whispered.

Jacin opened his arms to her and she took the opportunity to lean into him. She buried her face in his shoulder. One of his hands rubbed up and down her back, helping her relax.

“Why don’t you lay with me tonight, Trouble?” Jacin suggested. His arms stayed securely wrapped around her. “You should try to go back to sleep.”

“I’d like that.”

He led her inside the room, the door sliding shut once again. Together, they walked across the suite to the bed. He pulled the blankets back so that Winter could climb in first. Once she was snuggled in, he joined her.

Winter scooted closer to him, throwing one arm around his waist while she rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.She felt safe with him. She felt comfortable and okay. It didn’t feel like she had overwhelming guilt hanging over her head when she was is his arms.

Jacin kissed the top of her head. “Little better?”

“Much better.”

Winter fell asleep with a small smile on her face, nightmares from before completely forgotten.


	2. Smile

Winter intently watched Jacin as he studied for one of his upcoming medical exams. He’d been doing so well in his studies and she was beyond proud of him. Another two years and he would be a fully fledged doctor.

His brow furrowed in concentration as typed up notes on a port. He was beginning to work himself a little too ragged though. The late nights were getting to him, she could tell. It was time she did something about that. It was time she did something to help him relax for a few hours. 

Winter crossed the room, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him from behind.

“What are you doing, trouble?” he asked, not looking away from his work.

“You need to take a break.”

“I will soon.”

“Now, Jacin.”

“I’m almost done.” 

Even though he wasn’t looking at her, Winter raised an eyebrow at him. “You said that three hours ago.”

That got his attention. He checked the time in the corner of the port and sighed. “Stars… I’m sorry. I lost track of time again.” Jacin turned his head to meet her eyes, truly apologetic. He knew he hadn’t been spending as much time with her as he should lately, that he was too immersed in school. 

“I know.” She kissed his cheek. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately, but I don’t mind. I only want to make sure you’re eating and taking breaks one in a while. You have to work hard to be a doctor, but you can’t run yourself into the ground--or however that saying goes--in the process.”

He nodded, closing his eyes and resting his head back on her shoulder. “Did you have anything in mind?”

“A walk for starters.” 

“That sounds nice.”

“And then dinner because I know you haven’t eaten yet.”

“If we’re going for a walk, we could stop and get sour apple petites.”

Winter smiled down at him. “I would enjoy that very much. Now go get changed. You cannot go outside in your pajamas.”

“I’m going, I’m going.” He pulled out of her arms, and walked to the closet. When he came back he looked refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. Which wasn’t much longer, but that was fine. 

Winter took his hand, and they left the palace.

The streets of Artemisia were beautifully lit as they walked around. It looked like something from a second era oil painting. Every once in a while Winter would look up at the sky to see millions of stars. She never got bored of that and she was certain she never would.

They headed for Winter’s favorite candy shop. As they stepped inside she was hit with the delicious smell of chocolate. Oh, how she loved chocolate, but right now she wanted sour apple petites. 

Jacin let go of her hand to pick up one of the bigger boxes of the little apple candies. “I’m assuming you want the big one.”

“Of course!”

Jacin smiled and Winter’s stomach flipped. 

She always found his smile breathtaking. It was rare to see one so bright, so happy. Usually his smiles were small smirks, almost secretive, but ones like these made her day.

“What’s that look for?” he asked.

“Your smile makes me very happy.”

She could make out just the smallest hint of a blush on his cheeks after she spoke. Cute was not a word she’d typically use to describe Jacin, but right now he was quite cute. Dare she even say adorable.

“Um, okay then…”

Winter giggled. She leaned forward to kiss his cheek once more while also squeezing his hand. “Let’s buy these then go to the lake, my love.”

“Whatever you want, Trouble.”


	3. But Fate's a Cruel Mistress, Girl, the Prettiest in the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one is a Modern Au for the song lyric day and is actually very sad. I cried while writing it and I literally only cry a couple times a year so... please heed the warnings.
> 
> WARNINGS: cancer, nongraphic death, vague mentions of canonical death

Fate was cruel, Jacin decided. It wasn’t fair that this was happening. She didn’t deserve it. She was the most kind-hearted, genuine person he had ever met and she deserved the entire world in the palm of her hand.

But that wasn’t the case. 

No, instead Fate dealt Winter the cruelest hand possible. Her mother died after giving birth. Her father married a heartless woman. Her father died--probably murdered by his wife--a few years later. Her stepmother scared her face because she was prettier than her. Her mind was going insane and they had no idea why.

But now they did know.

“A mass,” the doctor had said.

Jacin knew what that meant, he was in med school after all. By “mass” the doctor had really meant “tumor.”

It didn’t sink in until a few months later when Winter broke down into sobs as she held a wad of her curly hair in her hands. He sat down on the floor and held her close, trying to reassure her that she would be okay.

But she wasn’t okay, nor would she be.

Winter went through treatment after treatment after treatment. Some were experimental, some were typical chemo treatments.None worked. 

Six months after the initial diagnoses, they went to another appointment, hoping to hear some good news, hoping to hear that the treatments were working. But they didn’t hear good news.

They were told Winter only had three months to live. 

That news didn’t sink in right away either. She didn’t start crying, nor did he. They both stared at the doctor for a few moments, holding each other’s hands and trying to process what they heard.

By the time they got home that afternoon, they understood. They fell on the couch, holding each other tight as they cried. 

Now here Jacin was, those three-ish months later.

Winter laid on their couch, skin ashen and breathing ragged. She was dying, they knew she was. Against the doctor’s recommendations, Winter wanted to be at home when it happened. So she was bundled up in her favorite blanket with Jacin laying next to her. 

“Jacin?” Winter whispered, voice raspy.

“Yes, Winter?”

“What do you think happens when we die? What do you think will happen to my soul?”

Jacin thought about that for a few seconds, mulling the question over. He wanted to give her reassurance that everything would be okay. “I think,” he said slowly, “that one second you’re here. You’re on earth struggling for life, struggling to breathe, struggling to think. I think the second we die, the struggling stops. We’re at peace with who we are. We no longer have to breathe or think or feel. We just are.”

Winter nodded her head but only barely. 

Jacin could feel her growing weaker by the second.

“I love you, Jacin.”

“I love you too, Winter. I love you with all my heart.”

“What do you love about me?”

“Where do I even start?” he said. “I love your smile. I love the way you walk, so graceful and elegant, but at the same time full of joy. I love the way you say my name.” Winter smiled with every ounce of strength she had left, and he carried on. “I love the way you talk to kids, like they’re real people with opinions and ideas, not talking down to them like most adults do. I love how kind your heart is. I love your beautiful brown eyes that are filled with wisdom beyond your years and more curiosity than a monkey named George. I love how much you love animals and how you treat them like they’re your best friends. But most of all, I love you. Everything about you has always made me weak in the knees because somehow even your imperfections are perfect.”

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Jacin felt his heart breaking for the millionth time this year.

There was nothing he could do to save her this time. This wasn’t like the time he got her out of her stepmother’s house and let her live with him. He wished it was. He wished he could get the tumor out of her head. Or he wished he was the one with the tumor--that he could be the one on his deathbed--not her. 

_ Please, anyone but her. _

She didn’t deserve this. Why was it that it was always the best people in the world who had the worst luck.

“Jacin,” she whispered again. He swore there was no life left in her voice.

“Yes?”

“Kiss me. Kiss me one last time. Please.”

He didn’t want it to be their last kiss. He wanted them to have a million more kisses. And he wanted to marry her one day. He wanted to have children with her. He wanted to grow old with her. He wanted to have a  _ life _ with her. A long, long life full of ups and downs and love.

But they wouldn’t get that.

“Of course,” he breathed. His own tears started to fall as he carefully pressed his lips against hers. Jacin poured his heart into the kiss, trying to express every last drop of love he had for her. He would love her for the rest of his life, and he would love her after that too.

After a few very long moments, he moved his head back enough to look in her eyes again. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you too.”

Her breathing was staggered, her eyelids heavy.

Jacin brushed her hair back behind her ear so he could see all of her face. He didn’t want to say what he was about to, but he had to do it. He could tell that at this point she was only clinging to life for his sake, so he wouldn’t have to live without her yet. But she was in so much pain. It was time and he didn’t want her to suffer any more than she already had. 

“Winter, you can let go. Whenever you’re ready, it’s okay.”

She opened her eyes to look at him, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “You’ll be okay? You’ll… you’ll take care of yourself?”

“I will,” he said. “You don’t have to hold on for me anymore. I’ll be okay.”

“You’ll live your life. Pro...promise me you’ll live and… and you’ll be happy. Please.”

Jacin sniffled, trying to hold his crying back. He was unsuccessful. “I promise I’ll live my life and try to be happy.”

“Okay…” Her eyelids fell shut and with her last breath she said, “Never… never forget how much I… love… you.”

Jacin knew that was it. That was the moment she left. Her chest didn’t rise again and her heart stopped beating. He cried huge heartbroken sobs as he held onto her for a little while longer. He didn’t want to let go, but he had to.

It was what she wanted.

He would never forget how much she loved him, and he would never stop loving her.


	4. Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soulmate au day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured we needed some fluff after that last chapter I subjected you to.

The second Jacin met her he knew she was the one, though at the time he didn’t know how to describe exactly what he was feeling. He was only a toddler after all. The older he got, the more he understood, the more he started to see. 

Literally.

His world used to be full of different tones of gray.

But with every second he spent with Winter, a new color appeared. 

The first time he met her, he noticed that her eyes weren’t black or gray like everyone else’s. No, they were  _ different _ . They were beautiful. He didn’t know what to call the color, but it made him happy. So as a toddler he just called the color “happy.” 

It was only later that night after telling his parents that he was starting to see things differently, that he learned what the color was. His mother had smiled and pulled a book down from the shelf. Inside it was full of different shades of gray. He flipped through the pages for a little while until he came upon the color. 

“There!” He told his mom. “It’s that one. I can see that one.”

She smiled. “That color is called honey.”

“Honey…” he repeated. He liked that name for the color. It sounded pretty.

More colors were added to the ones he could see. For every color that was added, they put a mini post-it with the date on it and his mother would tell him the name of the color.

Mocha was the second. 

And then vermillion.

And then cornflower. 

They were sporadically added for many years. One this week, another three months later. It went on and on. Jacin still didn’t understand why exactly his parents shared a secretive smile every time another color was added. 

The day Winter’s father died, and Jacin held her close as she sobbed, was the day blood red was added to the book.

And the day Jacin cleaned the wounds Levana forced Winter to inflict on herself, the day he decided that he would be a palace guard to stay in the palace and make sure she was safe, was the day emerald was added.

When left for his training, no more colors were added to his life. And the ones he did have seemed… duller than usual.

He wondered why that was.

At this point in his life, he already knew about the colors. He knew what they meant. He knew why new ones only appeared on days he saw Winter--beautiful, kind Winter. So he knew what Winter meant to  _ him _ . 

But Jacin was still unsure what he meant to  _ her.  _ He’d never mentioned the colors to her because it was possible they would disappear. It was possible she didn’t see any colors. His mom said that happened sometimes. One person would get colors new colors around that person but the other wouldn’t Or the other would get colors when they saw someone else.

Why it worked that way didn’t make any sense to him, but who was he to argue. That’s just how life was. He couldn’t change it.

But still he wondered why the colors he saw were starting to dull. Maybe Jacin wasn’t as in love with Winter as he thought he was. Maybe not seeing her for months made the feelings go away.

No, that couldn’t be right. His heart still got all fluttery when he thought about her. He still smiled when thinking about her smile. 

He’d have to ask his mom or dad the next time he saw them-- _ if _ he ever saw them again.

Jacin mulled those thoughts over for the next month.

The time finally came for him to leave the grounds beneath the palace and shadow other guards upstairs. “Squire” they called him, a guard in training.

His first shift didn’t start until the next morning, so he decided it was time to see her. It was time to check on Winter. He hoped and prayed to the stars that nothing else had happened to her in his time away.

Jacin spotted her down the hallway and suddenly all the colors were vibrant again. Not only were they vibrant, but he was certain a new one had been added. Or… new ones? There seemed like so many more.

Despite his awe and curiosity, his expression remained blank and passive, just as his training taught him.

And when she said his name, barely a whisper on his lips, he knew for a fact more than one color was new. Everything was bright and beautiful in the world once again, even more so than before. But there was only one thing he really cared about seeing. One person.

_Winter_.

He asked if she wanted an escort back to her quarters. She agreed, but she seemed disappointed and that broke his heart a tiny bit.

Then, to his surprise, she sent him a smile over her shoulder. “If you aren’t too busy with your training later, Squire Clay, I fear I might need rescuing from a pirate.

His worries melted away. She wasn’t disappointed. She was okay. She was happy. She was safe. She was the same way she was when he left months ago.

Her honey eyes stayed on him, waiting for a response.

“It would be my honor, Princess.”


	5. Volunteer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> very brief Hunger Games Universe for change the universe prompt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's very short today because some stuff came up. sorry yall

When Winter’s name was called at the reaping, she stopped breathing. It didn’t seem real. She only had her name put in six times because her family was decently well off. This  _ shouldn’t  _ have happened to her. 

Yet it did.

Heart hammering in her chest, she lifted her head high and walked through the other girls to the aisle between them and the boys. While walking to the stage, she caught a glimpse of bright blonde hair.

_ Jacin _ , she thought.

His usually unreadable expression was filled with nothing but fear and heartbreak. 

Winter hoped he wouldn’t miss her too terribly much. She hoped he would move on and have a life for himself after she was gone. Because as strong willed as she was, she knew her odds of making it out of the games alive were low.

She forced herself not to look at him any more, the guards leading her up to the stage. But before she could even make it up the steps, there was a shout from the crowd.

“I volunteer!”

Her head whipped around to see who it was, but she knew even before she saw him. Jacin stood in the middle of the aisle, strong, proud and unbelievably sure of himself and his decision.

Winter was not as sure of his decision.

What was he  _ thinking? _ This was his last year at the reaping. He could have been home free if his name wasn’t called later. He could have been  _ safe _ . And now he volunteers? Now both of them would die--not just her.

But that was exactly why he did it.

The crowd murmured around them and peacekeepers lined the aisle to keep people back. Four of the peacekeepers surrounded Jacin and led him forward to the stage. The ones around Winter, pushed her up the steps so she could be greeted by their district’s escort.

She barely heard a word the woman said, eyes trained on Jacin as he went up the steps on the other side.

He shouldn’t have done this. He shouldn’t have volunteered. They couldn’t both come out of this alive. 

Jacin met her eyes and she prepared herself for the end.


	6. Ryu

Winter looked down in her hands at the medium sized stone she painted yesterday. It was white, covered in little snowflakes. Ryu’s name was written in her elegant cursive script on the top. 

She knew he would have liked it. 

He was always her favorite of her pets. He was the most loyal, the most kind. It was like he always knew when she was sad or hurt and needed comfort. He would rest his large head on her lap while she ran her fingers through his snow white fur… and for a little while everything would be okay again. She would feel safe and happy.

Winter missed him.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the menagerie and wandered around. She headed to where his enclosure used to be. When she got there, it was empty and her heart sank. How could she get used to her best friend being gone?

She shifted the stone into only one hand and used the other to hold her long skirt up. Stepping over the fence, her bare feet landed in the grass on the other side. It felt nice and cool as she walked across the enclosure.

When Winter got to the little den Ryu would often sleep in, she crawled inside. It was big enough to fit him, so she could easily fit even if it felt cramped.

He had been dead for a month now, but it still smelled like him.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“I miss you, Ryu,” she whispered. “I wish you were still here with me. You were one of my only friends for the longest time.” Winter sniffled, wiping the tears on her cheeks away with the sleeve of her dress. 

“I have more friends now. I think you would like them. I know you’ve met Scarlet. She is still quite passionate and fiery--like her hair. I was reunited with my cousin Sel--Cinder. She is queen now and doing an excellent job. It will be hard getting used to calling her Cinder and not Selene. I will make myself remember though. I know she prefers that name.

“Then there is Cress. She is quite sweet and excellent with technology. Emperor Kai almost stabbed Levana with scissors at their wedding, which I know you would have loved to see--”

Footsteps approached the den’s entrance. The sound was muted by the grass, but she could still hear someone coming. 

“Winter?” Jacin called.

“In here.”

A few seconds later she saw him crouching down outside the den. “There you are. What are you doing, trouble?”

She lifted the stone up for him to see it. “He didn’t get a funeral, so I wanted to give him one.” He nodded slowly and Winter recognized guilt on his face. “Would you stay?”

“Of course.” Jacin sat down on the grass just outside the den, as he would not fit inside with her. 

Winter carried on as if he hadn’t interrupted, talking about the rest of their new friends. She wanted Ryu to know that she was going to be okay even though he was gone. She  _ was _ okay. 

When she was done speaking, she and Jacin dug a small hole in the dirt. Winter placed the stone at the bottom and together the pushed dirt back over it, burying the painted stone.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. 

Jacin reached out, taking her hands in his. Winter’s watery eyes met his. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I killed him. I.. I didn’t see any other way to get you out.”

“I know.” Her heart would take some time to mend from the loss, but she understood why he did it. She knew he was right. There were so few options on how to get her safely out of the palace. He saw one and he took it. She wouldn’t blame him for that. “It’s okay. I just… I miss him.”

“I know,” Jacin repeated. He squeezed her hands gently, grounding her to the world. “He loved you and he knew how much you loved him too.”

Winter sniffled. “I hope so.”

“I know so.”


	7. Silver

Jacin looked down inside the box, admiring the simple, yet elegant silver ring nestled on black velvet. It was his mother’s ring. At first he’d been hesitant to take it as his parents were still happily married, but then they  _ both  _ insisted he use it. They wanted him to have something special, so he accepted.

The only problem was that he had absolutely no idea how he was going to propose. Absolutely none. He debated on calling Kai or Wolf, asking them how they proposed, or at least how they figured out they wanted to propose, but ultimately decided against it. He could figure it out on his own, right? 

Wrong.

He had no ideas. 

Not a single one.

Jacin loved Winter for as long as he could remember, but he couldn’t figure out how best to propose to her. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe he was trying too hard to figure out the perfect way, when really there wasn’t a perfect way.

He should just ask her already. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

Wrong again.

He took her to dinner one night at some nice restaurant in New Beijing when visiting Kai, and tried to do it then. The box was sitting in his pocket the entire time, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t get the words out. And the longer he waited that night, the heavier the box felt, the more wrong proposing that night felt. So he didn’t.

Several more opportunities arose in the last few months, but once again, none of them felt right. Jacin was starting to wonder if he ever worked up the guts to do it. He wanted to marry her, so asking her should have been a piece of cake. 

He greatly underestimated how hard it would be.

But then the moment finally came.

They were walking down the streets of Rome after Winter cut the ribbon for yet another bioelectricity security block factory. She had a serene smile on her face, one that always made his heart skip a beat. She looked so happy.

It was time.

He stopped next to an old fountain, thanking the stars that he hadn’t taken the ring out of his pocket since his mother gave it to him. 

Winter stopped next to him. She met his eyes, looking confused as to why he stopped walking. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” Jacin shook his head. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest and his palms were getting sweaty. He was really about to do this. He was finally going to ask her to marry him.Subtly wiping his palms on his pants, he stood in front of Winter and took both of her hands in his own. The fountain babbled beside him, helping to soothe his nerves a small bit. “Winter…” How did he even start? He’d thought of dozens of different ways to ask, but --

_ Stop thinking, Jacin. _ He reminded himself.

Winter tilted her head to the side, honey eyes peering curiously up at him. “Yes, Jacin?”

“I love you,” he started. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, but it took far too long until I finally realized that.” Jacin swallowed his anxiety and kept going. “You’re a lot of trouble, always have been, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve always been unabashedly  _ you.  _ You gave up your sanity because you never wanted to abuse your glamour. I think that’s the single most admirable thing I’ve ever seen a person do.”

He dropped down onto one knee in front of her while also letting go of her hands. He grabbed the ring box out of his pocket and opened it so she could see the silver band inside.

Winter’s face lit up with joy.

“Winter, I love you with everything I am, would you make me the happiest person in the galaxy and marry me?”

She smiled so bright he was certain it would put the sun to shame. Eagerly nodding her head she whispered, “Yes. Yes, Jacin, I’ll marry you.”

His heart soared.

With shaking fingers Jacin pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. The second it was on, Winter threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him deeply.

Jacin moved his arms around her back, holding her close as they kissed. Her lips were as soft as ever, but there was something about this moment that made everything that much sweeter. 

Aces, did he love her.


End file.
